Behind the Mask
by strawberrySOLDIER
Summary: Sora, Namine, Kairi, and Roxas are always together. But what happens when Kairi starts to develop feelings for Roxas? Will their friendship fall apart, or will they end up happily-ever-after?
1. First Refusal

"I'm not really much of a dancer." Kairi told the three other teens who were walking next to her.

"Nonsense, Kairi! I've seen you dance before! At my birthday, remember?" Naminé told her, smiling at her red-headed friend. Kairi shook her head, and glared at the two boys next to her when they laughed.

"Besides, I have no one to go with!" she pouted, and looked at the ground.

Naminé grinned up at the spikey brunette. "Well…you might meet someone at the dance!" she said. Kairi made a noise that made the three other teens laugh. "Stop laughing! It's not funny!" Kairi yelled. Naminé hugged her friend, and looked at her, clutching her shoulders so she would stop walking. "It's a masked dance, Kai. I'm _sure_ you'll meet someone."

Kairi frowned, and made a side-glance at the spikey blonde who was now in front of her. Naminé grinned, and said a bit too loudly, "Oh, I bet Roxas is going too!" Kairi turned bright red and pulled away from Naminé's grip. Her blonde friend laughed and slung her arm over Kairi's shoulder. "I hate you." Kairi whispered. "I know." Naminé replied happily.

~*~

Kairi pulled the brush through her wet hair, and pulled on her sweats and a tank top. Showers are always good after a long day at high school. She grabbed her clothes off the bathroom floor and put them in the hamper in her room, before spreading out on her bed. Kairi's room was a light blue, the colour of the ocean on a nice day, with pink accents in her furniture. Her bed was covered in pink pillows and pink sheets. It was safe to say that her favourite colour was pink. Kairi reached down and pulled out her English homework and her favourite (pink) lead pencil. After a few minutes her phone started buzzing.

"Hello?" she answered. Kairi's ear was blasted with numerous loud words. "Okay—Nami—HEY! CALM DOWN!" she screamed, holding the phone away from her. There was silence on the other end. "You okay now, Naminé?" she asked, ready to pull away.

"Yeah. Okay, so, like, OHMIGOSH! Kairi you will _never_ guess what happened!" Naminé sang in through the phone. She sounded all fluttery, like she always did when she gets really excited. Kairi and Naminé have been best friends since kindergarden. A year later, she met Sora and Roxas.

"What just happened, Nami?" Kairi asked in a bored tone. Naminé huffed and said with super human speed, "Well, I was talking to Roxas over IM and he started talking about the dance and how _he doesn't have a date either!_" Kairi sat there in silence for a good minute. Finally, she said, "So?"

"So? _So?_ Kairi, I know you've had a crush on Roxas since the third grade, and you're saying 'so?' to what could possibly be the biggest news of your life?" Naminé was flipping out. About something so…so _minor_ that it doesn't even classify as news.

"And you've had a crush on Sora since you met him." Kairi replied coldly. It was true. Ever since Roxas stood up for her in the third grade, she was head over heels for him. She just wouldn't tell him. Ever.

Kairi could practically hear Naminé blushing over the phone. Kairi grinned. "You don't have a date yet, do you?" she asked Naminé. Her "no" was barely audible. "Then why don't you ask Sora?" Kairi asked. Naminé was the shyest person Kairi has ever met, and almost everyone adored her for it. Naminé was making unintelligent noises on the other line.

Eventually, she came out with, "I can't," and Kairi said immediately before she could say anything else, "Exactly. If you can't ask out Sora, I can't ask out Roxas." Kairi twirled her drying hair around her finger, while writing an answer and putting her pink cell phone between her shoulder and head.

"You're a meanie, Kairi." Naminé pouted, and Kairi laughed. "Oh, stop making a big deal about it. I bet Roxas doesn't even like me that way anyway." She said, a bit of sadness creeping into her voice. Naminé gasped. "NO! Kairi, you're _totally_ pretty! And I've seen the way he looks at you! I'm sure any guy would want you."Kairi huffed a response and told her friend that she had to get this done or her teacher would literally kill her. "Who do you have?" Naminé asked.

"Um…Ms. Tifa," Naminé told her she knew how it was, and let Kairi go back to her work.

_'Any guy would want me, huh? Heh, yeah right…'_

* * *

Okay! I hope you guys like the first chapter! This is my first fan fiction, so I'm not all that good yet, but I hope you liked it anyway! My partner NaminexSora Lover will be writing the next chapter, so keep a lookout for it! ^_^


	2. Agreement

Kairi woke up the next morning promptly at 7 A.M. She pulled her uniform from the closet and entered the bathroom. She slipped into the white button collared shirt, and blue and white plaid skirt that all students were required to wear. Of course, the males wore pants instead of a skirt.

All the while, her friend's words kept entering her mind, _NO! Kairi you're totally pretty! And I've seen the way he looks at you! I'm sure any guy would want you…_

The red-head frowned. _She's seen the way Roxas looks at me, huh? _She muses, _I love Nami, but she always exaggerates. Besides, how can she notice Roxas's looks, when all she can focus on is Sora?_

Shaking her head to clear her mind, Kairi exited the bathroom, picked up her pink backpack, and headed into the kitchen. Grabbing an apple, she bid her grandmother a farewell and started on her way to school.

Kairi walked the down her driveway and onto the sidewalk. She took a bite from her apple and looked at her surroundings. It was springtime; flowers were growing everywhere, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.

She sighed happily, before a sudden gust passed by her, causing her to gasp as she struggled to keep her skirt down.

"Sorry!" Kairi heard a male voice say ahead of her.

She looked up and saw her crush since third grade standing in front of her, a skateboard under his arm. "Roxas...!" She exclaimed, a blush adorning her cheeks as she tries to fix her outfit and hair.

"Oh, hey Kairi." He greets a dazzling smile on his handsome face. "Again, sorry about that..." He said.

Ignoring her shyness, Kairi smirks, "Admit it. You only did that because you knew that gust of air would lift up my skirt! You only wanted to see my underwear!" She joked, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"W-what?! N-no....!" Roxas stutters, blushing a dozen shades of red. "I didn't want to see the pink undergarments you're wearing!"

Kairi freezes. _How did he know I was wearing pink....?!_

Roxas clears his throat, "I'm kidding. I didn't see anything, I promise." He smiles at her, despite his embarrassment. He then decides to change the topic, "So, you're walking to school?" He asks, and receives a nod from the red-head. "W-would you like some company?" He offers. Kairi wasn't sure, but she thought she heard some shyness in his voice.

Trying to contain her excitement, Kairi smiles at him, "Sure." The spiky blond smiles back and takes a spot next to her as they continue on their way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As they were walking, Roxas noticed the Kairi was eating an apple. "Is that your breakfast?" He asks, putting to the red fruit.

She swallowed her bite of fruit before saying, "Yup!"

The blond frowned, "An apple won't keep you full for long. You should eat a better breakfast. It could be bad for your health if you eat so little."

Kairi smiled, "Aww! You care about me!" She laughed but Roxas stayed serious.

"Yeah, I do. More than you know." He muttered quietly, so Kairi didn't hear him.

"Hm?" Kairi tilted her head to look at him.

Roxas looked away, "Nothing. Just promise me you'll eat better."

She nodded, "Promise, I will!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When they arrived at the school, they instantly spotted their other two friends, who were smiling, as if they were just told that they won the lottery.

"Nami, Sora! What's up?" Kairi asked them as she and Roxas approach them. Sora and Naminé's smiles, if possible, widened more. Both looked flustered and embarrassed, but they were radiating with happiness.

"Kairi, you'll never guess what just happened!" Naminé said.

"What is it Nami? You're so happy, you're practically glowing!" Kairi joked.

"It's because I am happy! Anyway, let me start at the beginning..."

_**Flashback**_

Naminé was busy drawing in her sketchbook, under a beautiful cherry blossom tree. She was drawing a ball room scene, a masquerade ball to be exact. In her picture, a beautiful blond in a stunning white Victorian dress, was gracefully dancing with a handsome spiky brunette, who was also wearing dark Victorian clothes. Both were wearing masks, smiling, and surrounded by other dancers.

Naminé looked at her finished drawing and sighed sadly.

"What's wrong?" A voice asked as they took a seat next to the blond.

Naminé gasped in surprise, "Sora...!" She turns to him, a blush on her face. "Um, nothing's wrong..." She looked away.

"Liar." Sora accused her, "You always look away when you lie!" He smiles. He then looks down at the sketchbook on her lap, his eyes widening when he sees the beautifully sketched ball scene.

"Wow." He breaths out in awe. He snatches the book before the blond could close it. "This is amazing! It looks like a real photograph! And the main dancers, they..." He pauses as he wonders why the people in the picture looked so familiar. "They kinda look like... us." He says finally, turning to the blond, whose blush deepens.

"T-that's because... they are us." She admits softly, shyly.

"Huh." Sora hums. He then smiles and turns to Naminé, a small blush on his cheeks. "Ya know... Nami..." He begins softly.

The blond turns to him, curiosity evident in her features. "Hmm?"

"Well... I've- I've always wanted to tell you this," He mumbles shyly. "I wanted to tell you that... Er... Um." He mutters incoherently. Naminé smiles warmly, laying a hand gently on his arm, urging him to keep going.

Sora takes a deep breath and looks at her straight in the eyes, "I really... like you. I've always have."

_No way... _Naminé thinks, registers the info in her mind, going over it and over it. She then smiles brightly, blushing like crazy. "Sora, I really like you too."

Sora smiles at her in relief, "I'm so glad!" He then looks back at the picture, "Hey, Nami. Let's make this picture come to life! Wanna go to the Masquerade with me?" He asks.

The blond nods, "Of course!"

_**End Flashback**_

"Aw, Nami! I'm so happy for you!" Kairi yells as she hugs her friend. "And I'm glad you two are going to the Masquerade together!"

"Thanks, Kairi." The couple thanks her.

"Hey Kai, since me and Nami are going together, you and Roxas should go together too!" Sora suggests.

The red-head and spiky blond look at each other and look away quickly, blushing.

"Don't worry about us! You two should go and have fun." Kairi says with a wave of her hand.

"Aw, Kairi. Fine, but you and Roxas have to come with us! You don't have to come as a couple, but as friends. Please?" The petite blond pleaded.

"Um... Fine." The two agreed.

"Good~!" Naminé said. "Okay, come on. We got to get to class!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**That Night**

Kairi flopped onto her bed, wearing pink polka dotted pajamas. _I'm so happy for Naminé and Sora!_ She thinks to herself.

She then turns on her side and cuddles up. _But I really don't want to go to the dance. Seeing all those happy couples, smiling and laughing, it'll... be too much. And Roxas...._ She sighs sadly. _Even so, Naminé may be right. I may meet someone at the dance.... I guess I'll go..._


End file.
